My expertise
Hi, I’m May Sykes (née Breisacher), an award-winning senior behaviour change and sustainability consultant and coach. I’ve worked with leaders across countries, companies, sectors and industries to help them strategically think about change and deliver that change.
Building rapport and trust with CEOs, the C-suite and leaders of all guises has been at the forefront of my work. This has enabled me to design strategies and engagement programmes that deliver sustainable change.
A mindset to learn and unlearn are a key component to defining and achieving lasting impact. I have a curiosity to ask questions and an openness to hear and bring different viewpoints to the table. My willingness to continuously think and ask ‘and what else?’ have contributed to me successfully leading multi-country, multi-stakeholder programmes.
I consider myself a generalist who can quickly deep dive into topics to expertly consider their impacts. Bringing a systems thinking approach, I help individuals, leaders and organisations to connect the dots across topics to make better, more informed decisions. This impacts their own health, the health of their teams, the wider organisation and most importantly the planet.
My experience
I may look young. However, my experience spans almost 20 years across various roles and industries, mainly in the UK, with several years in Germany. I specialise in implementing multi-stakeholder strategies, having supported teams and organisations in achieving their sustainability, purpose-led, and social impact goals. My diverse industry background allows me to connect the dots, bringing niche topics into strategic focus.
My primary focus has been on social impact and sustainability change programmes. I have also worked in brand, marketing and communications, business development, and Talent/HR, building well-rounded generalist knowledge. Having worked directly with senior leadership on strategic projects in all my roles, I’ve been entrusted as the go-to person to make change happen.
A team member and leader, I have also been part of extended leadership teams, successfully designing and implementing change programs. I’m a speaker, facilitator, strategic advisor and coach. I hold an ILM certificate in effective mentoring and coaching, and have coached individuals and teams throughout my career. In the last four months alone, I’ve conducted over 100 coaching hours. To deepen my expertise in sustainable behaviour change, I am currently pursuing a Master’s in psychology.
I am bilingual in English and German.
Award-winning senior changemaker. Holistic thinker. Strategic advisor. Coach.
My focus
I work with changemakers who are looking to increase their own impact and resilience, that of their teams and organisations, and those looking to move into changemaking careers.
Using a mindfulness-based framework has shown to help people think more critically about the world and find more thought-through solutions. When we become aware of where our attention is, what environment we find ourselves in, what our behaviour patterns are, we start to listen more deeply, ask deeper questions, and truly consider our actions. Through that we make changes that impact our own health and wellbeing, our careers, our values and most importantly our planet.
Coaching focus
In addition to career, strategy and wellbeing coaching, I also offer coaching for neurodivergent individuals. Coaching is about helping people play to their strengths and unlock their full potential in the working world, while helping them manage stress better.
Strategic advice and consulting services
Complementing coaching, I offer strategic advice to teams and organisations about their sustainability, employee engagement and wellbeing strategies. Please see the “Services” page for more details. You can also follow me on instagram @sustainfully_you
I look forward to working with you.
